


The 12 Ficlets of Christmas, Days 11-12: Happy new year.

by hgleiser



Series: Wrong Direction [25]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 11:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9179338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hgleiser/pseuds/hgleiser
Summary: New year, new beginnings.  Rated teen for swearing.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Golddisaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golddisaster/gifts), [Loramir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loramir/gifts).



> *deep breath* What started out as something I intended to be a short project earlier this year became an idea I couldn't stop working on and knowing this is the last chapter brings both relief(longest thing I've ever written)and sadness(this is for all current intents and purposes the last time I'll write this universe). I'm going to miss these characters and feel very lucky that they've allowed me a window into their world so often. I'm also very lucky to have a wonderful audience and two wonderful betas who have been patient through my battles with depression and job loss/finding other work that caused significant delays in updates and having to cut parts of the story I previously intended to write. All of you have encouraged me to keep going when I wanted to give up and it's meant so much to me. I hope you enjoy your last visit to their home and my fondest wish is for these guys to live on in your hearts as they surely will in mine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a tissue...

“You look scared.”

“Me? No. The only thing I’m afraid of right now is if Nico and Seb start doing karaoke.” Mark shuddered. “I haven’t recovered from the last time, remember?”

“Is hard to forget. Fernando tucked his head under Mark’s chin and smiled. “Was the party after we finished the second album, no?”

“Yeah, and it seems like ages ago. You had short hair then and I never told you I didn’t like it.”

“Why?”

Mark gave Fernando’s hair a slight tug. “I like having something to hold on to.”

Fernando giggled, tickling Mark’s stomach in retaliation until he squeaked. “You think I should always have a lion’s mane.”

“My little Spanish lion wouldn’t live up to his name if he didn’t.” Mark kissed the top of his head. “I have a point.”

“Get a room!” called Jenson from the loveseat opposite them, finishing his glass of champagne and smiling down at Sebastian dozing with his head in his lap. “Sorry if I wake you, but it’s true. They’re gross when they’re sober and disgusting when they’ve had a few.”

“Can’t, it’s not midnight. Besides, if I go to bed this one...” Mark nudged Fernando. “...will tell me I’m getting too old to party like a man.”

“Life begins at forty, mate!” Jenson raised his empty glass, his speech a little slurred. “You’re not _that old.”_

“Jenson, you’re thirty-six. Neither are you.”

“Compared to the baby here I am.” 

Sebastian rubbed his eyes open and immediately pouted. “I’m not a baby. I’m almost thirty.”

“Twenty nine and a half. Go back to sleep, Seb, you get cranky when you haven’t had enough rest.” Jenson lifted one of Sebastian’s hands to his lips and kissed it. “I love you.”

Sebastian turned over on his side, burying his face in Jenson’s jumper, and drifted off once more.

“Awwww!” Lewis and Nico looked down from behind the loveseat on either side of Jenson’s head and grinned. “He parties hard, doesn’t he?”

“A few drinks and he giggled himself to sleep. What did you two put in the punch?”

“Don’t blame us. We might have accidentally left Kimi alone with it while we finished cooking dinner, though. We’re innocent!” protested Lewis. “Really.”

“There’s no telling what he put in there in that case.” Jenson tried to laugh but hiccuped instead, causing Nico to collapse on the carpet in a fit of laughter. “You had too much!”

“Looks like you had more than me. You might want to keep an eye on him, Lewis.” Jenson shook his head. “And keep him away from that,” he added, gesturing to the karaoke machine that had been given to them by their label as a gag gift the week before Christmas. “My head’s going to hurt enough in the morning without hearing his rendition of Living On A Prayer.”

“The problem is none of you can hold your drink.” Kimi sat on the floor next to them and took a long drink from the sizable bottle of vodka he was holding. “I’m fine. I’ll just feel like shit in the morning but is the point of New Year’s. You get drunk off your ass, have fun, maybe kiss someone, and sleep it off.”

“Where’s your someone to kiss, then?” asked Jenson. “I’m not volunteering.”

“Minttu’s car got stuck in the snow so she had to stay with friends. I’ll see her tomorrow afternoon. Important thing is she’s safe.”

Lewis nodded in agreement while stifling a yawn. “Five minutes to go...I’m with Seb. After this is over I’m getting some sleep. You can stay up if you want, Nico, but I’m out.”

“I don’t think I’ll last much longer.” Nico leaned against Lewis and closed his eyes. “Unless something happens that makes me stay up, I’m getting down to my boxers and passing out with you and Alain.”

Unbeknownst to Nico—or anyone except Mark and the man who had sold him the ring two weeks before—something was.

“Fernando?”

Fernando lifted his head from Mark’s chest, a sleepy half-smile on his lips. “Yes?”

“There’s one thing I forgot to give you for Christmas...well, not really forgot but I didn’t have the courage to.” Mark paused and took a shaky breath. “And I didn’t prepare anything to say because I’m trying to be a little more like you and embrace spontaneity, so here goes. Two weeks ago, Nano, I did something I’m sure never done before. I got the idea to walk into a jeweler’s on the way home and see what was there, but all I saw that interested me were the wedding bands. That’s when I did something I’m bloody certain I’ve never done before.” He pulled the small box, wrapped in shining gold paper, from his pocket. “I bought this.”

“Mark...” Tears slipped down Fernando’s cheeks. “I did not know...”

“I don’t know either, buddy. None of us knows what’s going to happen when the clock strikes midnight now or in a year’s time. What I  _do_ know is that there’s no one else I’d rather spend my life with. Unwrap your gift and tell me if you feel the same.”

Fernando quickly tore the paper open with trembling fingers and opened the box to reveal a narrow band of gold, plain except for ‘te amo’ engraved on the underside. “Si...yes...”

“Now say that again.” Mark took the ring from the box in one hand and held Fernando’s hand with the other. “Nano, will you marry me?”

“Yes!”

The instant Mark heard he slipped the ring on Fernando’s finger and kissed him senseless, hands happily fumbling all over each other and legs tangling together as the clock struck midnight.

Sebastian, hearing the clock chime on the mantel, blinked his eyes open again. “What’d I miss?”

“Oh, nothing. Just our bosses agreeing to get married.” Jenson chuckled. “Saw that one coming, so no big deal.”

“Mmmkay,” mumbled Sebastian, curling up into the fetal position and yawning. “Good night.”

“Good night, darling.” Jenson raked his fingers through Sebastian’s curls. “Sweet dreams.”

“Out of vodka and someone’s getting married. Need champagne.”

“In the ice bucket in the kitchen, Kimi.” Lewis tapped his screen to finish recording. “Perfect. Awww, people will love seeing that! Nico, did you take any pictures? Nico?”

Nico plucked a tissue from the box on the side table and blew his nose. “Happy endings always get me, sorry.”

“Is that why you never watch _Finding Nemo_ with me?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Awwwww, Nico!” Lewis gave him a peck on the lips. “You softie. Come on, let’s go to bed and leave the lovers to celebrate. All of you.”

They walked out arm in arm, followed by Jenson leading a sleepy Sebastian leaning against him, and headed upstairs while Kimi retreated to the basement, leaving Mark and Fernando stretched out on the couch.

“It looks good on you, mate. I hoped you’d like it.”

“I love it.” Fernando held up his left hand to admire the ring in the dim glow of the living room lamps. “And you.”

“Well, this is it. 2017. Happy new year, Nano.” Mark smiled, thinking of how soon a matching band would be his. “And with you, many more to come.”


End file.
